The NYC Health Department recently published a report describing the health of Latinos living in New York City, the second largest ethnic group and one third of the total population of residents who live in the five-boroughs. Latinos in New York City represent more than 20 countries of origin or heritage groups and the report describes important demographic, socioeconomic, housing and neighborhood conditions that potentially impact the health of Latinos as well as describes differences in demographics, health behaviors and health status among the largest Latino heritage groups: Puerto Rican, Dominican, Central and South American and Mexican. The full report is available in English and Spanish.

About 42% of PARCS participants reported identifying as Latino and many of PARCS Study playgrounds are located in Latino-dominant neighborhood.

Here are some key, interesting findings in the report:

General Health: (page 18)

• Sixty seven percent of Latino adults report their health as “excellent”, “very good” or “good,” compared with 81% of non-Latino adults.

Physical Activity: (page 14)

• Dominican and Central and South American adults are less likely than non-Latino adults to report moderate physical activity (150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week).
• US-born Latinos are more likely than Latinos born outside of the US to report moderate physical activity (150 minutes or more of moderate exercise per week).

Obesity: (page 18)

• About one third of Latino adults are obese, compared with about a fifth of non-Latino New Yorkers.

Healthy Living: (page 13-14)

• Puerto Ricans and less than a third of Mexicans can buy fresh fruits and vegetables within a five minute walk from their home.
• Overall Latino adults in NYC are less likely to consume one or more fruit and vegetable servings per day than non-Latinos (84% of Latino adults reported eating one or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day compared to 89% of non-Latino adults).
• Puerto Rican adults are about twice as likely as non-Latino adults to drink one or more sugary drinks per day.
• US-born Latino adults are more likely than adults born outside the US to drink one or more sugary drinks per day.

The report suggests that differences in health outcomes by Latino heritage may be a result of racial and or ethnic discrimination, differing barriers to migration, acculturation and structural barriers such as policies that restrict access to social services and racial residential segregation.

All information presented was sourced from ‘Health of Latinos in New York City’ report. Make sure to check out the full report for info-graphics and more information on how New York City’s Latino population is doing in comparison to their non-Latino neighbors and New Yorkers as a whole. The full report can be found on the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH)’s website in both English (PDF) and Spanish (PDF).